Snickers

Is Snickers an ethical chocolate brand?

First introduced in America in 1930, Snickers is a chocolate brand owned by Mars Inc. Snickers bars consist of nougat topped with caramel and peanuts and encased in milk chocolate. Snickers was first sold in the United Kingdom in 1967 under the name ‘Marathon Bar.’

Unfortunately, The Good Shopping Guide does not give Snickers a high enough score for it to be considered ethical on our Ethical Chocolate Ratings Table and because of this, it cannot be classed as ethical chocolate.

If Snickers were to make some improvements, it could apply for Ethical Accreditation which would allow The Good Shopping Guide the opportunity to provide Snickers with a detailed assessment and recommendations for ethical improvements.

The Ethical Chocolate Ratings Table shows how Snickers scores against other brands and can help you to find out more about what makes Ethical Chocolate.

What does Snickers receive a top score for?

A top score is given to Snickers as its manufacturer Mars has a good Environmental Report. Mars has dedicated a page on its website all about a Healthy Planet where it shares information about its goals for climate action, plastic usage and land use.
Snickers receive a top score on our Ratings Table for being vegetarian-friendly. Snickers do not currently offer any vegan chocolates, but we hope that in the future it will.

As well as top scores for its Environmental Report and for being vegetarian, Snickers receives a top score for Nuclear Power and Armaments as there are no negative records.

 What does Snickers receive a bottom score for ethics? 

Snickers receive a bottom score in The Good Shopping Guide for Public Record Criticisms.  In recent years, Rainforest Action Network (RAN) undertook a series of undercover investigations which showed several major brands including Snickers’ manufacturer Mars were found purchasing illegally sourced palm oils from mills. The palm oils were sourced as a result of the illegal clearing of lowland rainforests within the nationally protected area of the Rawa Singkil Wildlife Reserve in Indonesia. Snickers has been given a middle score for Fairtrade because other Mars-owned brands offer Fairtrade chocolates. We hope that in the future Snickers can introduce Fairtrade products to enable its score to improve.

How can Snickers become an ethical chocolate brand? 
The score awarded to Snickers on our Ethical Chocolate Ratings Table is the result of a calculation of multiple ethical criteria carried out by The Good Shopping Guide.

To improve its score, meet our minimum ethical benchmark and qualify for Ethical Accreditation, Snickers needs to work on a few things. This includes its bottom score for Public Record Criticisms around sourcing palm oil and improving upon its middle score for Fairtrade.

If Snickers were to work on these issues, then The Good Shopping Guide could offer Snickers Ethical Accreditation for its chocolate and confidentially see its score rise on the Ethical Chocolates Ratings Table.

If your ethical chocolate brand, business, or product could gain from receiving an ethics and sustainability certification, why not get in touch to learn more about Ethical Accreditation or complete our initial evaluation form.